Device and method for protection from radiation in space

Abstract

A device for protection of a body from radiation includes at least one flexible garment. Each section of the flexible garment is configured to shield a region of a surface of the body. Each section complementarily attenuates self-shielding by internal structure between the region and an interior region of the body such that radiation at the interior region is attenuated to a predefined attenuation level.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A radiation protection device, comprising:
 a first garment layer comprising:
 a first flexible substrate; 
 a plurality of first flexible shield elements to attenuate one or more types of radiation and incorporated into the first flexible substrate; and 
 a first gap separating one or more of the plurality of first flexible shield elements; and 
 
 a second garment layer comprising:
 a second flexible substrate; 
 a plurality of second flexible shield elements to attenuate one or more types of radiation and incorporated into the second flexible substrate; and 
 a second gap separating one or more of the plurality of second flexible shield elements, 
 
 wherein the second flexible shield elements are approximately aligned laterally to overly the first gap. 
 
     
     
       2. The radiation protection device of  claim 1 , wherein the first flexible shield elements are approximately aligned laterally to overly the second gap. 
     
     
       3. The radiation protection device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third garment layer comprising:
 a third flexible substrate; 
 a plurality of third flexible shield elements to attenuate one or more types of radiation and incorporated into the third flexible substrate; and 
 a third gap separating one or more of the plurality of third flexible shield elements, 
 
 wherein the third flexible shield elements are approximately aligned laterally to overly one or both of the first gap and the second gap. 
 
     
     
       4. The radiation protection device of  claim 1 , wherein facing surfaces of the first garment layer, and the second garment layer comprise one or more friction reducing materials to facilitate relative sliding between the first and the second garment layers. 
     
     
       5. The radiation protection device of  claim 1 , further comprising a layered garment formed from the first garment layer and the second garment layer, the layered garment comprising:
 a first section that covers a first interior region of a user; and 
 a second section that covers a second interior region of the user, 
 wherein the first section is more protective than the second section, and the first interior region is more sensitive than the second interior region. 
 
     
     
       6. The radiation protection device of  claim 5 , wherein a first section radiation protection is attenuated to the first interior region of the user such that the first section radiation protection is attenuated based on a self-shielding of the first interior region of the user. 
     
     
       7. The radiation protection device of  claim 5 , wherein the second section has an areal density of about 7 g/cm 2 . 
     
     
       8. The radiation protection device of  claim 5 , wherein the second section has an areal density in a range from 0.1 g/cm 2  to 20 g/cm 2 . 
     
     
       9. The radiation protection device of  claim 5 , wherein the first section has an areal density of about 19 g/cm 2 . 
     
     
       10. The radiation protection device of  claim 5 , wherein the first section has an areal density in a range from 4 g/cm 2  to 46 g/cm 2 . 
     
     
       11. The radiation protection device of  claim 5 , wherein the first section includes more layers of sequin sheets than the second section. 
     
     
       12. A radiation protection device, comprising:
 a layered garment that incorporates a plurality of layers, comprising:
 an inner garment layer; 
 an outer garment layer opposite the inner garment layer; and 
 a flexible middle garment layer between the inner and outer layers, comprising:
 a flexible substrate; and 
 a plurality of flexible shield elements incorporated into the flexible substrate which attenuate one or more types of radiation.